Cradle.



O. H. JOHNSON.

CRADLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1909.

941,927,, Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

G. H; JOHNSON CRADLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27. 1909.

Q-QLLQQT/a Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. JOHNSON, or nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T w. LAWSONLINDSLEY,

or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CRADLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. JonNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Cradles, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in-cradles andmore particularly to a cradle of that general type in which a basket issupported by spring con nections from a suitable frame.

' A number of structures are known to the art, in which spring supportedbaskets are employed. In such structures, however, the

vibrations of the basket are more or lesssudden, short, and short livedand the stress is placed altogether upon the supporting springs, whichafter a comparatively short period of use become slack and ineficient.

The present invention aims to overcome the objection stated andaccordingly a structure is provided in which the frame takes up amaterial degree of the stress which has hitherto been absorbed by thesuspension springs and in carrying out this principle the improvedcradle structure comprises more particularly a spring frame providedwith hangers which partake of vibrations and thereby assist thesuspension springs in their action. In this manner sudden reactionaryvibrations of the suspension springs are taken up by the frame and viceversa.

Tncidental to the foregoing feature of novelty, the invention residesfurther in novel details of structure and combination, the ultimatepurpose of which is to provide for simplicity and inexpensiveness ofconstruction, durability and efficiency of service.

The structural details will be set forth at length in the followingdescription which is to be read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which disclose preferred and advantageous embodiment of theinvention.

The novel featurcsby which the inventicn is to be distinguished fromother spring cradles known to the art, will be described in language ofthe proper determinative scope in the claims appended at the end of thedescription.

in the said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of a spring cradleconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

; Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a pair of cooperating clampmernbers which form an incidental novel feature of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View showing in elevation the relation ofthe clamp members to the frame bars and hangers. Fig. 4: is a detailsectional View illustrating the structure of a combined clamp and casterstruc ture included in the invention. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of'suchstructure, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing by dotted lines, thevibratory action of the spring frame.

Similar characters of reference refer to correspondingparts throughoutthe several views.

The essential elements of the device comprise the frame designatedgenerally by the numeral 1, the basket or cradle body indicated at 2,the hangers, as 3, and the spring suspension means, as 4.

The frame 1 comprises two spring rods, as 5, preferably of round crosssection and each comprising a horizontal central portion, as 6,terminating at its ends in upwardly and divergently inclined portions,as 7, the latter in turn being formed at their ends with perpendicularofisets, as 8. y

The rods 5 are so related to one another that their horizontal ortions 6are parallel and the opposite end portions 7 converge upwardly. The rods5 are of course especially formed to secure this relation, which ismaintained in the assembled device by the use of stay bars 9 between thehorizontal portions 6 and of clamp means 10 between the opposedconverging portions 7, the clamps 10 directly cooperating with the oil'-sets 8 in a manner to be explained.

The bars 9 are preferably assembled by means of novel clamp devices, as11, shown more particularly in Figs. i and 5. Each clamp device 11comprises an upper plate 12 and a lower plate 13, said plates beingconnected by a screw, as it. The plate 18 is formed with a dependingsleeve, as in, which serves as the bearing for a pintle 16, the latterforming an element of a caster which includes also a roller 17. Theplates 19. and 13 are otherwise similarly constructed and have theiradjacent faces formed with registering rooves, as 18 and 19, the grooves18 extending a short distance inwardly and axially of said platesfording' sockets to receive the ends of the bars 9 and the grooves 10extending t'insversely of the plates and allowing the connected byscrews or bolts, as 21. Each in the grooves 23 and the lower endportions bar, as 27.-

clamping engagement of the plates upon the 1 portions 6. The screw 14 isemployed to tighten the plates against one another when they have beenso assembled and to thereby cause a frictional binding action whichprevents loose play or displacementof the parts.

In Figs. 2 and 3, the construction of the clamp meanslO has beenillustrated in detail. Such means comprises a pair of similarlyconstructed plates, as 20, which are of the hangers 3 being similarlyheld in the grooves 22. By reason of the fact that the grooves 22 extendthe'entire length of the plates 20, the hangers 3 may be adjustedvertically, if desirable, by simply loosening the screws 21, moving thehangers vertically to the desired position and then tightening saidscrews. I

The hangers 3 have somewhat elongated shanks and are preferably ofgooseneck shape, the goosenecks terminating in hooks,

Each suspension means 1 preferably comprises a pair of retractile coilsprings, as 25, having their upper ends formed as hooks for cooperationwith a hook 3 as a common supporting means. The springs 25 are disposedindownwardly divergent relation and their lower ends are formed as hooksfor engagement in suitable eyes, as 26, carried by a The basket 2 ispreferably hung directly from the bars27 and is disposed betweenthehangers 3, the end walls of said basket being connected with the bars27 as by'staples 28 or other suitable connecting devices.

The novel action of the device in use, will be best apparent byreference to Fig. 6 from which it will be seen that verticalreciprocatlons of the basket 2 will cause horizontal reciprocationsofthehangers 3, on account of the resiliency of the frame rods 1 which aresusceptible to the varying stress caused indicated b the dotted lines.The particular form 0 the rods 5 assists materially in the eflicientvibration thereof, the unbalanc. ing of the central portions 6 causingcorresponding movements of the portions '7, the reactions of whichproduce further and lesser unbalancings of the portions 6 and so onuntil the motive force is exhausted.

The particular construction of suspension means as ,above explained, isadvantageous in that it assists the vibratory action by providing forthe perfect balancing of the parts and by reducing friction.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In cradle structures of the type set forth, in combination, a frameincluding a pair of rods, a basket, means for suspending said basketfrom said frame, transverse stay bars for said rods and clampmeansconnecting said stay bars and said rods and each comprising upper andlower plates having angularly disposed grooves, the grooves of one plateregistering with the corresponding grooves of the other plate, and ascrew connecting said plates, one pair of registering grooves serving toreceive anend of said stay bar and the grooves of the other pairsurrounding one of the rods.

2. In a cradlestructure of the type set forth, the combination with aframe including a pair of bars having vertically disposed end portions,goose-neck hangers and means connecting the hangers and the end portionsof the bars and comprisinga clamp device having acentral opening toreceive the shanks of the hangers and having side openings closed attheir upper ends and receiving the end portions of the bars, a basketand means for suspending the basket from the hanger.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesse's. 7

CHARLES H. JOHNSON. VVit-ness'es:

WILLIAM LAWSON LINDSLEY, VIRO LEWIS RICHARDSON.

